Corn-planter.



A. S. BBYMER. CORN PLANTER. APPLIUMIQN FILED was, 1909.

Patented June 7,

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

A. S. BEYMER.

CORN PLANTEB. APPLIoAv'rIoN FILED num, 1909.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

A. s. Mmmm.V

GOB-N PLANTER.

I APPLICATION FILED FEB.3, 1909. 960,487,l l Patented June 7, 1910.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

Nowiw B. GRAHAM co., PHoTo-LITMDGRAPNERS,wAsmNamN. n.0

Cir

ADELBERT S. BEYIVIER, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI.

CORN-PLANTER.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, ADELBERT S. BEY- MER, a citizen of theUnited States,residing at Kansas City, in the county of Jackson and State of Missouri,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Corn- Planters, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to corn planters and more especially to edge-dropcorn planters and my object is to produce mechanism whereby grains ofcorn may be dropped at regular intervals and at uniform distances apart.

A further object is to produce a mechanism of this character in which itis practically impossible for grains to be cracked or broken.

A further object is to produce means for sweeping a grain from the mouthof a cell in thel event that such grain is lying flatwise or forsweeping a plurality of grains from the mouth of a cell in order to givesuch cell an opportunity to be properly recharged before it reaches thecut-off of the mechanism.

A still further object is to produce means for reliably delivering thegrains to the cells in a position lengthwise with respect to such cells.

A still further object is to produce a mechanism having a reversiblebottom plate and a pair of seed-plates for mating with and engagingopposite sides of the bottom plate so that it shall. be impossible forthe seedplate designed for use with long and slim or pcg-tooth grains tobe secured in position with the side of the reversible bottom plate foruse in conjunction with the seed-plate to accommodate grains of ordinaryform and vice versa.

A still further object is to produce a mechanism of this characterhaving a rotary bottom plate which overlaps the seed-plate so as toprovide a solid and unbroken or nonjointed bottom over which the grainsof corn may freely and uninterruptedly slide, and which in conjunctionwith the base of the hopper shall form a circular channel whose bottomis formed by the underlying seed-plate.

lVith these objects in view the invention consists in certain novel andpeculiar features of construction and organization as hereinafterdescribed and claimed; and in Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed February 3, 1909.

Patented June 7, 1910.

Serial No. 475,909.

order that it may be fully understood reference is to be had to theaccompanying drawings, in which,

Figure 1, is a top plan View of the base portion of a seed-hopperequipped with seeddropping mechanism embodying my invention. Fig. 2, isa vertical section of the same on the line II-II of Fig. 1, and alsoshows'certain parts underlying the hopper. Fig. 3, is a horizontalsection on the line III-III of Fig. 2. Fig. 4, is a section on the lineIV--IV of Fig. 2, but with the bottion plate occupying its reversedposition and surmounted by the seed-plate for use in connection withlong and slim or peg-tooth grains. Fig. 5, is a horizontal section onthe line V-V of Fig. 2. Fig. 6, is an inverted plan view of the thinseed-plate, that is the plate for use in connection with long and slimor peg-tooth grains. Fig. 7, is a vertical section showing the lrnockermechanism for insuring the discharge of the grains of corn from theseed-plate as the cells of the latter successively pass under theknocler.

In the said drawings, 1 indicates a cross bar of the frame whichunderlies each seedhopper. 2 is a hinge-lug projecting upward from thefront end of said bar and 3 is the seed-spout or chute with anupwardly-projecting lug 4 at its rear side.

5 is a transverse shaft which extends clear across the machine andcent-rally underlies both seed-hoppers of the machine, one only beingshown, and said shaft is journaled in bearing plates 6 bolted as at 7 tobar 1, said plates being of segmental form in plan view and providedperipherally with grooves 8 to receive the inwardly-projecting rib 10 ofthe circular gear-wheel 9, said gear-wheel being arranged horizontallyand meshing with a driving-pinion 11 secured on shaft 5.

Arranged vertically above the gear-wheel and concentrically thereof andhorizontally is the hopper, the drawing showing only the base 12thereof, to which the up er part is adapted to be detachably secured inthe usual manner, in superposed relation, and said hopper-base isprovided with a pair of forwardly-projecting perforated ears 13 pivotedon a hinge-bolt 14 carried by the hingelug 2. The hopper-base is alsoprovided at its rear side with a bifurcated lug 15 to receive theclamping bolt 16 hinged to lug 4 and equipped with a wing-nut 17 to bescrewed down upon the bolt and the underlying lug I 15 to clamp the.hopper-base rigidly with respect to the underlying frame. Thehopper-base is of contracted diam-V leter at its lower end andterminates in a depending circular flange 18 disposed inward of andconcentrically with the bodyportion, the latter curving downward andyinward at 19 tothe upper end of said flange.

Underlying the hopper-base is a reversible ring or base-plate 19bprovided with an exitopening 19'QL and at one side with a pair ofconcentric anges or ribs 20 and 21 of equal height, the outer one beingnumbered 20 and the inner one 21, and the latter is disposed a slightdistance outward yof the inner margin. The opposite side of thebase-plate is provided inward of its outer margin with Va circulargroove or channel 22 and with a deeper and concentrically arrangedcircular groove or channel 23 directly opposite the inner iiange.. Thebase-plate is arranged horizontally with its flanges 20 and 21 disposeduppermost when ordinary grains ofv corn are to be planted, as shown inFig. 2, the marginal iange 20 snugly embracing iange 18, and projectingforwardly from the said base plate, is a pair of'perforated ears 24engaging bolt 14, the base-plate being supported also upon the spout orchute. The seed-plate used in connection with grains of corn of ordinaryform consists of a circular body-portion 25 provided with a circulargroove 25a receiving flange 21 of the base-plate and extending outwardlyto the inner side ofoiiange 18A of the ,hopper-base and provided in itsVinner edge with a plurality of notches 26 and in itsl outer edge with,a plurality ofn notches or cells 27, and with flanges 28 which dependaround cells 27 to the upper side of the underlying baseplate so as toproduce cells corresponding in depth to the distance between the upperside of the seed-plate and the upper sideof the basefplate, the innerface of flange 18 forming the outer walls of the cells, it being alsonoticed in this connection that lsaid face of the flange projects to ahigher plane than that occupied by the upper side of the seedplate. Y

29 indicates a ,circular bottom-plate resting iiatly upon theseed-plate, with its upperside occupying a slightly higher lane than theflange 18, the outer edge o said plate being disposed slightly inward ofthe peripheral notches or cells 27, andsaid bottomr plate is providedwith a plurality of depending-lugs 30 engaging lugs 30a, projectingupward from gear-wheel 9, and provided also with offsettinglugs 31engaging notches 26V and locking the rotary bottomplate 2 9 totheseed-plate. The bottom plate is slightly conical at its upper side andis provided centrally with an' upwardly-projecting boss 32 to engage thecavity 34v in the underside of a stationary plate 33, said of thefingers converge with respect to the margin of the bottom-plate and tendto feed the grains of corn into the channel, of which the seed-plateforms the bottom, lengthwise with respect to the cells in said plate, ashereinafter explained, and supporting said fingered or corn-deflectingplate centrally with yrespect to the bottom-plate, is

a series of arches 36 which bridge the Ychannel from said plate to thehopper-base, two

of the arches being provided with superp'osed clamping plates 37wherebyl are clamped rigidly to saidarches spring or resilient sweeps 38which extend downward and forward with respect to the rotatable movementof the seed-plate and are bent to form depending curved i portions 39slightly exceeding the cells in length so as to bridge withoutA enteringthe same, and with terminals 39a which extend outwardly so asto restupon the upper end of iia'nge 18 of the hopper-base and thus limitdownward movement of said sweeps, for a purpose which Ahereinafterappears, it being noted that these sweeps are capable of springinglaterally sufficient to avoid possibility of injuring the grains ofcorn.

At a suitable point the hopper-base is provided with aninwardly-projecting lug 40 overlapping the rotatable bottom and disposedvertically above the exit opening 19a and spout or chute 3. The rear endof said lug is bifurcated and pivoted therein is a cut-off 41 held by aspring 42 yieldinglydepressed to prevent more than one grain in a cellpassing, the lug having an upwardly-projecting arm 43 'against whichspring 42 bears. Pivoted to said `lug is a knocker 44 which forces orknocks the grains downward out of the cells and into the spout or chute3 underlying said lrnocker, the knocler being held yieldingly-depressedby a spring 45 interposed between it and arm 43, and overlying saidknocker and part of the cut-off is a hood 46, the same being secured inplace by a bolt 47.

In Fig. 4, the'base-plate 19al is shown in an inverted or reversedposition from that shown in Fig. 2 and mounted upon the same is a'seed-plate for slim or peg-tooth grains, said plate being numbered48 anddiffering from plate 25 mainly in the fact that it is shallower and isprovided with a depending circular rib 49 to engage the groove 23 in thebase-plate, it being also noticed that when the base-plate is reversedthe lower end of flange 18 of the hopper-base fits snugly in groove 22so that the upper side of the base-plateshall occupy a relatively soAVhigher'plane when used with the seed-plate 48 than when used withseed-plate 25.

In practice, the rotation of shaft 5 results in the rotation of thebottom-plate and the seed-plate in the direction indicated by the arrow,Fig. l, and as a result corn on the rotating bottom-plate is forcedthereby against the convex edges of the fingers, which deflect suchgrains outwardly, the grains turning sidewise to the fingers in theevent they abut against the same endwise, and traveling outward in suchsidewise position along the convex edges of the fingers until pushedbeyond the outer edge of the bottom-plate, it being noted in thisconnection, that the conical upper face of the bottom-plate facilitatesthe outward movement of the grains. If the channel is empty at thepoints where the grains are forced outward off the bottomplate, theytilt and fall into the channel and lengthwise with respect to the cells,and into cells if the latter happen to be empty and in position toreceive them.

If the cells are charged, such grains are carried in the channel untilthey are dislodged by a sweep or the cut-off and if dislodged by thelatter they pass with the mass of agitated grains, between the shortdeflecting finger and lug 40 and eventually are redelivered to thechannel and to the unoccupied cell.

If the channel should be occupied at the points of delivery by saiddeflecting fingers, the grains are forced across and beyond the channel,this being possible because the wall of the hopper is outward of theouter wall of the channel, and facilitated because the top of thelast-named wall is below the upper side of the bottom-plate, as by suchrelation of said wall and the bottom plate there is less tendency ofsuch grains abutting and being crushed against such outer wall of thechannel. The oncoming succeeding grains of course tend to force thepreceding ones farther outward and their engagement with the curvedportion 19 of the hopper-base causes them to move upward and work inwardand down upon the bottom-plate to be again carried thereby against oneof the fingers and eventually deposited edgewise in an unoccupied cell.

In the event of a grain settling flatwise over or of a pair of grainswedging together in the mouth of a cell, and encountering one of thesweeps 3S, such grain or grains are dislodged without being injured, soas to leave the cell to be properly charged before it reaches thecut-off, all cells improperly charged and all grains in the channel inadvance of the second sweep, being dislodged by the cut-off ashereinbefore explained, the grains properly occupying the cells passingunder the cut-off and dropping or being forced downward through theexit-opening 19a of the base-plate into the spout or chute,

by which they are delivered to the ground, it being understood that theplanter is adapted as usual for drilling or for planting in hills, themeans in the spout or chute for hillplanting being omitted as forming nopartof the invention.

From the above description it will be apparent that I have produced acorn planter embodying the features of advantage enumerated as desirableand which is obviously susceptible of modification in minor particularswithout departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters-Patent, is:

l. In a corn planter, the combination of a circular hopper-base having adiametrically-reduced lower end and a downwardlytapering portion leadingto such reduced end, a circular rotary bottom-plate arranged within andof less diameter than the reduced end of the hopper-base and disposedwith its upper side occupying a plane slightly above said reduced end ofthe hopper-base and constituting the rotatable inner wall of a circularchannel of uniform width of which the reduced end of the hopper-baseforms the stationary outer wall, a circular seedplate fitting snuglywithin the reduced end of the hopper-base and underlying and projectingoutwardly beyond the circular bottom-plate and provided with peripheralcells communicating with said channel; and a base-plate underlying thehopper-base and the seed-plate and provided with an exitopening withwhich the cells of said seedplate successively communicate.

2. In a corn planter, the combination of a circular hopper-base having adiametrically-reduced lower end and a downwardlytapering portion leadingto such reduced end, a circular rotary bottom-plate arranged within andof less diameter than the reduced end of the hopper-base and disposedwith its upper side occupying a plane slightly abo-ve said reduced endof the hopper-base and constituting the rotatable inner wall of acircular channel of uniform width of which the reduced end of thehopper-base forms the stationary outer wall, a circular seedplatefitting snugly within the reduced end of the hopper-base and underlyingand projecting outwardly beyond the circular bottom-plate and providedwith peripheral cells communicating with said channel; a baseplateunderlying the hopper-base and the seed-plate and provided with anexit-opening with which the cells of said seed-plate successivelycommunicate, and a curved deflector above the rotary bottom-plate forforcing seeds outwardly upon and beyond the periphery of saidbottom-plate.

3. In a corn planter, the combination of a circular hopper-base having adiametrically-reduced lower end and a downwardlytapering portion leadingto such reduced end, a circular rotary bottom-plate arranged within andof less diameter than the reduced end of the hopper-base and disposedwith its upper side occupying a plane slightly above said reduced end ofthe hopper-base and constituting the rotatable inner wall of a circularchannel of uniform width of which the reduced end of the hopper-baseforms the stationary outer wall, a circular seedplate fitting snuglywithin the reduced end of the hopper-base and underlying and pro- Vjecting outwardly beyond the circular bottom-plate and provided withperipheral cells communicating with said channel; a baseplate underlyingthe hopper-base andthe seed-plate and provided with an exit-opening withwhich the cells of said seed-plate successively communicate, and avertically and laterally yieldable sweep overlying the path which thecells describe in their rotary movement.

t. In a corn planter, the combination of a circular hopper-base having adiametrically-reduced lower end and a downwardlytapering portion leadingto such reduced end and a circular rotary bottom-plate arrangedconcentrically within and of less diameter than the reduced end of thehopperbase,'with its upper side occupying a horizontal plane slightlyabove said reduced or concentric end of the hopper-base, a circularseed-plate fitting snugly within thereduced end of the hopper-base andunderlying and projecting beyond the circular bottom plate and providedwith cells, a deiiector bearing a superposed relation to thebottom-plate and rigidly connected to the hopper-base, and a resilientsweep bearing a rigid relation at one end to the hopper-base and havingitsopposite end free to rest upon the hopper-base and provided with adepressed plortion lying above the cells of the seedp ate.

5. In a corn planter, the combination of a circular hopper-base, abase-plate underlying said hopper-base and provided with anexit-opening', a rotary seed-plate fitting upon the base-plate andfitting snugly within the lower end of the hopper-base and providedperipherally with cells for successive communication with saidexit-opening, a circular bottom-plate rotatable with the seedplate andoverlying the inner portion of the same and terminating inward of thecells thereof and having a conical upper side, a curved deflector abovethe rotary bottomplate and bearing a rigid relation to the hopper-base,and a spring sweep secured at one end in rigid relation to the deflectorand extending downwardly and forwardly with respect to the direction ofrotation Vof the bottom-plate and provided at its lower or free end witha depressed portion outward l and in the horizontal plane of thebottomplate.` Y Y 6. In a corn planter, the combination of ahopper-base, a rotary seed-plate provided with cells fitting in thehopper-base, a baseplate underlying the hopper-base and the seed-plateand provided with an exit-opening with which the cells of saidseed-plate successively communicate, a hood attached to the hopper-b-aseand overlying the seedplate directly above the exit-opening of thebase-plate, means to revent seeds from being carried under sai hoodunless tting down in a cell of the seed-plate, means under the hood forinsuring the discharge of such seeds down through the exit-opening ofthe base-plate, and a suitably supported sweep overlying the pathdescribed by the cells of the seed-plate and capable of yielding upwardand laterally.f

7. In a corn planter, the combination with a circular hopper-base of areversible baseplate fitting againsttheY lower end of the hopper-baseand provided at opposite sides with circular concentric ilanges ofdiiferent diameter; the internal diameter of one flange correspondingapproximately to the external diameter of the hopper-base and theexternal Ydiameter of the other flange corresponding approximately tothe internal diameter of the hopper-base.

8. In a corn planter, a base-plate provided at opposite sides withoppositely-projecting flanges of different diameter; the inner wall ofone ange being circular and the outer wall of the other also circularand disposed concentrically and inwardly of the inner wall of thefirst-named flange.

9. Ina corn planter, a base-plate having concentric circular flangesspaced apart projecting fromY one side and concentric circular groovesin the other side, the innermost groove being opposite the innermostflange and the outermost groove inward of the outermost flange. Y

10. In a corn planter, the combination of a hopper-base ofcircular forminternally, a circular rotary bottom plate concentrically within and ofless diameter than the hopperybase to provide a circular channel betweenthe latter andthe bottom plate, anon-rotatable base-plate underlying thebottom plate and provided with an exit-opening communicating with saidchannel, a rotary seed plate interposed between the said bottom plateand base-plate, provided with peripheral seed cells and rotatable withand projecting beyond the margin of the said bottom plate, va cut-off toprevent surplus grains and improperly-containedV grains from beingcarried by the seed plate in said channel to the exit-opening of thebase-plate, and a yieldable sweep to dislodgeisurplus grains andimproperly-contained grains from the cells of t-he seed plate intheinterim between the passage of each cell by the said exit-opening andits approach to the said cut-off.

l1. The combination of a circular hopperbase, a base-plate bridging theopening of the hopper-base at the lower edge of the same, and providedwith an exit-opening in communication with the interior of thehopper-base and located near the lower edge of the hopper-base, acircular rotary bottom plate above the base-plate and arranged centrallywithin the lower end of the hopper-base and of smaller diameter thansuch end so as to provide in conjunction therewith a circular channel ofwhich the baseplate forms the bottom, a circular seed plate interposedbetween the base-plate and the bottom plate and rotatable with and ofgreater diameter than the latter to project into said channel andprovided in said projecting portion with grain cells, a curved deflectorupon the bottom plate and rigidly connected to the hopper-base, a hoodrigid with the hopper-base and overlying said channel and theexit-opening of said baseplate, a cut-ofi' adjacent the said hood todislodge surplus grains or improperly-contained grains from said cells,as they successively pass under said hood, and a yieldable sweep todislodge surplus grains and improperly-contained grains in the cells inthe interim between the passage of said cells by said exit-opening andtheir near approach to the cut-off preliminary to their second passagepast said exit-opening.

l2. The combination of a circular hopperbase, a base-plate bridging theopening of the hopper-base at the lower edge of the same, and providedwith an exit-opening in communication with the interior of thehopper-base, and located near the lower edge of the hopper-base, acircular rotary bottom plate above the base-plate and arranged centrallywithin the lower end of the hopperbase and of smaller diameter than suchend to provide in conjunction therewith a circular channel of which thebase-plate forms the bottom, a circular seed plate interposed betweenthe base-plate and the bottom plate and rotatable with and of greaterdiameter than the latter to project into said channel and provided insaid projecting portion with grain cells, a curved deiector upon thebottom plate and rigidly connected to the hopper-base, a hood rigid withthe hopperbase and overlying said channel and the exit-opening of saidbase-plate, a cut-ott' adjacent the said hood to dislodge surplus grainsor improperly-contained grains from said cells, as they successivelypass under said hood, and a spring-wire sweep bearing a rigid relationat one end to the hopperbase and projecting at its free end down intosaid channel for the purpose of removing surplus grains orimproperly-contained grains from said cells in the interim between theirpassa-ge by the exit-opening and their next approach to said cut-off.

13. In a corn planter, the combination of a hopper-base of circular forminternally, a circular rotatable bottom plate arranged concentricallywithin the circular lower end of the hopper-base and of smaller diameterthan the same to provide an interposed circular channel, a base-plateunderlying the hopper-base and the rotatable bottom plate and providedwith a flange projecting upwardly and iitting within the opening in thebottom of the hopper-base; said base-plate having an exit-openingcommunicating with the interior of the hopper-base, and a circularrotary seed plate interposed between the baseplate and the rotatablebottom plate and provided peripherally with bottomless cellscommunicating with the said channel and adapted to successivelycommunicate with said exit-opening of the base-plate; the seed platearound the cells being in contact with the upper face of the flange ofthe baselate. p 14. In a corn planter, the combination of a hopper base,a base-plate under the hopper base and provided with an exit-opening, arotary seed plate provided with seed cells for successive communicationwith the said exit-opening of the base-plate, a hood rigid with thehopper-base, above the seed plate and over the exit-opening of thebase-plate, a cut-oil adjacent the hood to dislodge surplus grains fromthe seed cells as they successively pass under the said hood, and avertically and laterally yielding sweep to dislodge surplus orimproperly-contained grains in the cells in the interim between thepassage of said cells by said exit-opening and their near approach tothe cut-opreliminary to their second or neXt passage under said hood andby said exit-opening.

l5. In a corn planter, the combination of a hop er base, a base-plate atthe lower end of the hopper base and provided with an eXit openingcommunicating with the interior of the hopper base, a rotary seed-plateitting upon the base-plate and fitting snugly within the lower end ofthe hopper base and provided with cells for successive communicationwith said eXit opening, means for preventing upward movement of the seedplate, and a suitably-supported sweep overlying the path described bythe cells of the seed plate and capable of yielding upward andlaterally.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ADELBERT S. BEYMER. Witnesses:

HELEN C. RoDenRs, G. Y. THORPE.

